Surgery of Exotic Animals

R. Avery Bennett, DVM, MS, DACVSAdjunct Professor of Companion Animal Surgery Department of Small Animal Clinical Services School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA, USA

Elizabeth Bicknese, DVM, MPVM, cVMASenior Veterinarian, Veterinary Services, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance San Diego, CA, USA

Estella Böhmer, DVM, Dr. med vetClinic of Small Animal Surgery and Reproduction, Center of Veterinary Clinical Medicine Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University Veterinärstr Munich, Germany

Carmen M. H. Colitz, DVM, PhD, MBA, DACVO, DCLOVE (hon)All Animal Eye Care in Jupiter Pet Emergency and Specialty Center Jupiter, FL, USA

Brett Darrow, DVM, DACVS, CCRPStaff Veterinary Surgeon Capital Veterinary Specialists Department of Veterinary Surgery Jacksonville, FL, USA

Daniel J. Duffy BVM&S(Hons.), MS, FHEA, MRCVS, DACVS‐SA, DECVSAssistant Professor Orthopaedic Surgery North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Clinical Sciences Raleigh, NC, USA

David A. Fagan, DDSExecutive Director The Colyer Institute San Diego, CA, USA

Dean A. Hendrickson, DVM, MS, DACVSProfessor of Equine Surgery Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Department of Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital Fort Collins, CO, USA

Jennifer L. Higgins, DVM, PhDColorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Department of Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital Fort Collins, CO, USA

Gregory A. Lewbart VMD, MS, DACZM, DECZM (ZHM)Professor of Aquatic, Wildlife, and Zoological Medicine North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Clinical Sciences Raleigh, NC, USA

Catriona MacPhail, DVM, PhDProfessor of Small Animal Surgery Colorado State University Department of Clinical Sciences Fort Collins, CO, USA

Elizabeth A. Maxwell, DVM, MS, DACVS‐SA, CVPPClinical Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology University of Florida Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine Gainesville, FL, USA

Michael S. McFadden, MS, DVM, DACVS‐SAOwner, Houston Mobile Veterinary Surgery Magnolia, TX, USA

Stephen J. Mehler, DVM, DACVS‐SAChief Medical Officer Veterinarian Recommended Solutions Blue Bell, PA, USA Co‐Founder Main Line Veterinary Specialists Devon, PA, USA

Michael B. Mison, DVM, DACVS‐SAProfessor of Clinical Surgery University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA

James E. Oosterhuis, DVMPrincipal Veterinarian San Diego Zoo Safari Park Escondido, CA, USA

Director of Research and Medical CareThe Colyer Institute San Diego, CA, USA

Heidi Phillips, DVM, DACVS‐SAAssociate Professor, Small Animal Surgery University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine Urbana, IL, USA

Geoffrey W. Pye, BVSc, MS, DACZMAnimal Health Director Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment Team Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Bay Lake, FL, USA

Mark Stetter, DVM, DACZMDean & Professor Colorado State University Department of Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Fort Collins, CO, USA

Claire Vergneau‐Grosset, DVM, IPSAV, CES, DACZMAssistant Professor – Zoological Medicine Service, Veterinarian of the Aquarium du Québec Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal Saint‐Hyacinthe, QC, Canada

Celia R. Valverde, DVM, DACVSSAGE Veterinary Referral Centers‐Dublin Dublin, CA, USA

E. Scott Weber, III, MSc., VMD, Dipl ACVPM, CertAqVetWhite Marsh Hollow Conestoga, PA, USA

Allison D. Woody, DVM, DAVDCClinical Veterinarian The Colyer Institute San Diego, CA, USA San Diego Animal Dentistry San Diego, CA, USA

We have two main goals with the “Surgery of Exotic Animals”: (i) collate surgical information on exotic species into one book rather than have it scattered throughout the literature and (ii) ensure that every chapter is written and/or edited by a surgery specialist. Exotic animal surgery developed along a different pathway compared to domestic species because surgery specialists have felt out of depth with species with which they had no familiarity. Consequently, surgical techniques were developed by veterinarians with a special interest in exotics, but no specialized training in surgery. Principles instilled during a formal training program in surgery apply across species, including humans, but are only touched on during veterinary school. Veterinary surgeons are able to perform the procedures; however, they feel uncomfortable with the husbandry, anesthesia, and preoperative and postoperative patient care. Occasionally, a specialist surgeon is found with a special interest in exotic species. For the majority of this book, it is these rare individuals that have written chapters using sound surgical principles paired with knowledge of exotic species. An exotic specialist with a special interest in surgery or the pairing of a surgery specialist with an exotic animal specialist is used for some chapters. The latter was also used for editing the book to ensure both aspects were considered in every chapter. These partnerships should be encouraged as it can be hugely beneficial for the animal as each person will bring their skillset to the table. The surgeon can bring strong surgical principles and the exotic animal specialist can help them extrapolate those to the unique anatomy of and what may or may not work for the exotic species. Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Diplomates of the American Veterinary Dental College, and specialist surgeons from the human medicine field are great resources for exotic animal veterinarians and are at the cutting edge of new techniques, equipment, and products that could be used in exotic patients. These specialists need to be encouraged to take the leap into the unknown that exotic animal veterinarians take on a routine basis. Solid surgical principles used in domestic species and humans can be readily extrapolated for use in exotic animals in most cases.

Avery and Geoff

FL, USA

2020

Dr. R. Avery Bennettrecently retired from Louisiana State University where he served for four years as professor of Companion Animal Surgery and now remains as an adjunct professor. He has served in senior positions in academia and the public sector in both surgical and exotic animal fields at the University of Florida, University of Pennsylvania, University of Illinois, Animal Medical Center – New York, San Francisco Zoo, and private surgical referral practices in California and Florida. Avery earned his doctorate of Veterinary Medicine with high honors from Michigan State University (1983). He completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Texas A&M University (1984) and a small animal surgery residency at Colorado State University along with a master's degree in veterinary clinical sciences (1987). Avery is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (1988). While Avery is competent in both soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, his areas of interest include surgery of exotic animals, minimally invasive surgery – laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery, oncologic surgery, and microsurgery.